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Topic: Jialong Data Haven (Read 9101 times)

During one of the seemingly rare quiet moments of late, Bill took the opportunity to tune out the world for a while. He knew he didn't have much experience in this sort of work and his team mates were an odd grab-bag of personalities and skills. It worked, at least so far. Old habits kicked in while he sat in his thoughts, the mental image of a criminal profile forming...

Combat: So far no ranged combat personally, does use spirits but appears to greatly prefer direct melee combat. Highly skilled with blades, uncertain of skill in other melee weapons. Quite adept at avoiding ranged fire.

Notes: Definite code of honor of some sort here; one on one fights, seems to dislike unfair odds, and goes out of his way to be flashy while taking on the opp's top fighter mano-a-sword-o. If he weren't so good at it, I'd let him know he's about 400 years too late. Neh. Definite martial training, though given the anachronism I highly doubt it's from any organization that has a 'trix site. Probably some mystical monks what live on some mountaintop somewhere.

Demeanor:Exceptionally confident in skill, otherwise relatively quiet. Highly distracted when not "on the job," but professional while working. Glitzy, goes out of his way to add flash. Greatly enjoys non-soy food, but not picky. Does not take orders well. Doesn't seem to back down from a fight unless other assets are at risk.

Notes:Who knows what time vortex he must've thought he stepped through. Maybe too many old trids growing up, or one too few. Definitely seems to have memorized Yojimbo though. Works well as part of a team but not as a subordinate. Safe to assume that his previous life had sensei and pupils but not leader and followers. Definite "remote village" feel about him, has a bit more take-or-leave-it philosophy to creature comforts. Opted to make himself cozy in a shed rather than travel further to look for an expensive hotel; gained a bit of respect there.

Goals/Motivations:None stated as yet, but appears to be out for the experience. Worthy adversaries, make a name. Has occasionally left a calling card, origami, but certainly not compulsory.

Notes:He hasn't said he's out to be one of those "good guy" runners folk idealize over, but I suspect that's in there. He has gone out of his way to entertain children before when he had time on his hands. Showing off yes, but how many folk would call on a water spirit to play Marco Polo?

Physical:This individual can change their face and relative shape with ease; most often male, their bearing would suggest that male is their original gender. Difficult to know what facial features are original, possibly entirely a shifting construct. Frequent use of tailored pheromones and voice alteration.

Notes: Not sure where they're originally from but the swagger definitely screams male. Possibly Asian, but these days who can be sure. Attitude makes me think elven. I hate to stereotype, but this seems too comfy to be a ruse.

Notes: Whip isn't a safe weapon, so they had that a long while to be so comfortable. It's an implant, they're awakened, so not likely to be from Bargain Bobs. Almost overconfident about getting it and the gun through security of all types. Small yes, but makes me think it wasn't installed anywhere that advertises.

Demeanor:Often first entering an area, never visibly armed. High focus on attempting precision in operations. Dislikes prolonged debate or planning. Quick to make decisions impacting others without input. Relies heavily on intimidation, self-confidence and veiled threat techniques followed by magical manipulation before combat. No hesitation taking hidden weapons through scanners.

Notes: Power seems like this one's opiate. No signs of humility, quick to make demands, and openly holds the veiled threat of aces up the sleeve. If that doesn't seem to work, they move right to magical coercion and follow with combat. Reminds me of bad cops. Definitely believe from some sort of violent organized background; well-structured gang, maybe security or military. Not likely to have been high in the ranks; that sort of attitude gets beaten out after sergeant before getting injected back for captain, and that usually includes less hubris these days. Sometimes seems to try good cop/bad cop with the other elf, but is never good cop.

Goals/Motivations:No yet demonstrated motives regarding work apart from nuyen. No compunction towards backstabbing or betraying employers for the right price. No demonstrated moral line as of yet. Compulsion to always project display of power. Demonstrably comfortable "slumming it" as necessary. Quick to take creature comfort at earliest feasible opportunity but not required.

Notes: Again leads me to think low-level in a violent org; no apparent hatred towards any specific corp, certainly no sign of trying to be a vigilante or any real consideration of right or wrong, just the nuyen. Doesn't seem to be in it for an investment either, seems fine splurging on finer things but can easily live without. They want power over others, enjoy it, and want to make sure no one has it over them. Even when they do. Makes me wonder how much it'd cost to see if he'd sell me out. Best not dwell on that yet.

Personal Estimation:So far, I'd go about as far as to say "as far as I can throw'em," but who knows what they actually weigh?

Combat:Skilled in unarmed combat, assault weapons and heavy gunnery. Possible previous merc work, few gangs get to play with miniguns. Have not noticed any martial arts so far. Protective appears to be priority. Focuses on ranged combat when able.

Notes:Only so much I can do here, really. Combat. Troll. He quickly puts himself up as a shield for assets, and for as much pain as he can dish out he can take it better than most trolls I've met. If he were twitchier and more coffee-addled I'd think he was post-HTR. Guy could carry a platoon out safely.

Demeanor:Quiet. Possibly highly introspective. Doesn't shy from combat but so far seems unwilling to start it. Eats more than one would assume even for a troll. Comfortable in low environments, seems unused to expensive tastes. Doesn't seem very comfortable with the female elf.

Notes: In his defense, the team leaders are two twinkle ego elves who take over negotiations even when they're *pretending* to be employees, so I don't blame the guy for being quiet. Even at his size, when drek hits the fan, who's going to remember the big troll versus the in-your-face elves? Haven't had much time to talk with him, but shown to be fairly personable when given the opportunity. My guess about the elf, it's the flaunting. Some women don't get that they aren't all that to all folk.

Goals/Motivations:Unclear. Nuyen, of course, but his demeanor doesn't seem the "live fast, die young, leave an interesting corpse" sort. Wherever he gained his skills initially, I suspect he wanted something safer sooner and ended up picking the wrong help wanted ad, and just stuck with it. Not seemingly actively out to be the good guy but he seems to pick up the opportunities when they show themselves.

Notes: Sometimes reminds me of those half-ton troll women who don't accept that not everyone's a fan of that.

Combat: Spellslinger and spirits. Mostly spirits. Often attempts to act as an innocent bystander during combat, even when actions do not support the attempt. Heavily utilizes cover.

Notes: As non-combative as she might appear, I don't think even she realizes how dangerous she could be. Wouldn't want to be the first one to corner her when she caught on. Watch for the pretty bystander screaming for help while telling a big troll in the fight what to do. Kind of a tell. I doubt there's any training here, it's all winging it. Too used to charming people to know how to get out of a fight any other way, and the humility act is more patronizing.

Demeanor:Overly sexual nature, heavily reliant on feminine wiles to solve all ills. Often plays the brainless ditz to avoid being labeled a threat. Difficult to tell how intelligent she is under the facade. Quickly takes center in social situations. Extremely uncomfortable in less than middle-class conditions. Prefers expensive tastes by far. No technological capabilities to speak of. Racist tendencies. Heavily anti-corp but self-deluding about employers.

Notes:Where to start. She makes the troll physically ill when she turns her wiles at him. Maybe she knows and thinks it's fun. I imagine for him she'd look like an emaciated, ill toddler. Nothing against folk finding love wherever, but you don't need my augments to hear his stomach flip in a bad way. Could be that she's got an on-again off-again FB thing with the elves and he's classy enough to keep it professional. But that sickening flump from his gut says it's not out of courtesy. Like Tog, when it comes to social interaction she will quickly break cover if she's playing second fiddle. Can't stand anything less than mid-class, this lady is *not* street. If they had to infiltrate a biker gang she'd show up in pre-torn original Levi's and an Armani leather jacket. Screams mid-level management kid. Used to getting her way with a smile and a flash of cleavage, no sign of street fights in her past, and too hungry for the absolute finest things in life for those to have been within reach. Can barely manage her pito account; HAS a pito account. Definite elven superiority complex. Again sign of mid-management upbringing; that would've been beat out on the streets if she didn't join a gang, and she doesn't have the skills to indicate that route. Very anti-corp but tries to ignore that nearly all shadow work is from them; working with Triad, but they've got strings too. It's all there. Twinged at Mitsuhama jingle, far less apprehensive working with them than others.

Goals/Motivations:Glitteratzi as far as she acts. Wants the biggest scores to pay for the finest things. Doesn't seem to be in it for the rush, not gritty enough to be doing this because they have to. Works with the Triads but doesn't seem to hold any major allegiance there. Enjoys the limelight but doesn't want to be known as a criminal. They aren't planning on being here permanently.

Notes:Idealistic view of what life at the top is like, seems to think it's all orgies, nuyen-baths and peeled grapes. Reminds me of the old trust-fund runners. She's the first go-to for contacting the Triads so likely it's her contact, the other elves might have ties but she's the one they know. Wants the money but doesn't come from a background that *needs* it, just more of it. No mention of family, that isn't unexpected but I think that's the leverage. Maybe they disowned her over her actions and she's trying to show them up. Possibly they're debted. If so it isn't bad or she isn't that concerned; coffin motels and scrimping are what people do when the legbreakers are on the way. This would be a large but not immediate debt. Investment perhaps, the debtor is getting their interest already so there's no rush. More sign of mid-management ties, lower and it'd be kneecapping, higher and it'd be a tax write-off.

I might as well put down some thoughts I have been having while in character...</OOC>

It's becoming so easy. Putting people through dishwashers, crushing them into the ground in a single instant, sometimes with little provocation... Their faces are starting to blur together, ever increasing in distance within my mind. Soon it feels like they will no longer possess faces. All of this bioware I have taken on... The suprathyroid gland greatly progressed this change in me which brought it to my attention, but that certainly wasn't the beginning. It worries me greatly, but who knows when I'm thinking straight at this point. I made my decision long ago and I will follow that path. I only hope the consequences are not too great by the end. Of course, "the end," could happen at any time in this business so, on that hand, no risk can be too great, right?

...

No, I can't think that way or I lose my metahumaity altogether and become exactly who I despise. I need to find some way to keep myself on track in case I get... confused in future. I must visit home more often, though it seems unlikely to make it back home, as my hate-filled enemies say, to "die vaterland." Suppose I could find... or maybe even start a dojo? Someplace to hone my craft, to shut out and shield myself from the overstimulation of today's precise, personally-targeted holo-advertisements and jacked-in ppv trid feeds. Perhaps I could even meet some people and even help the locals.

"All-in..." I still hate to say it, it rings loud and clear throughout my mind in the most silent moments. Our new squaddie Tog offered me a piece of his own 'ware he had to remove to fit something else. I was hesitating at first at what it could mean to take more augments, but if it helps me avenge my family, to hell with the consequences, to hell with Alamos 20,000 and to hell with Humanis as well!

I have had quite a difficult time in los angeles, as soon as we get there, our identity is stolen, and we are high profiled, during the interrogations one of us were basically raped. This pissed me off to no end, when my team slept i took jiaos contacts she had to pull the image off, to get a good picture of who did it, ill publish the hit, with a reward of 50k nyuen. Well getting off topic, I found a picture with me in a bar, hard to tell its me with my mask on, but jiao is straight up in the picture, no mask or anything, hanging out with some gang members. We just killed some ghouls who thought it was a great idea to pick a fight with some runners. After that more trouble followed, and then even more trouble, we literally went and battled some cybered up ninjas, im not close minded enough to question what they were thinking, but they should have ran when there seems to be a dude holding a katana and nothing else, says a few things about how he fights, ie. me. They came at my team in groups but they lacked training, i got surrounded by them, and i was bored. I mean they were very easy to block, little skill, just speed. Fuckers were hard to hit, but well if the fight lasted any longer I would have dealt with it, a teammate was climbing on the ceiling, thinking he is spider-dude or some shit, wound up getting cut up. I thought he could hold his own but he seems to lack martial discipline, relying on his enhancements over skill. Hell its that exact reason that the kageyama clan banned cybernetic enhancements. Its just one reason that my late traitor of a teacher left the clan.

I thought it was funny that after i killed the ninjas when they were grouped their leader decided to fight honoring some samurai code, lol. He ordered his men to leave from fighting me so I could fight one at a time. I mean how stupid are you, if you turn ur back in a fight, be sure to realize i will capitalize on that mistake. It literally rained blood, but well that wasn't the first time. After that experience I began to notice a trend in cyber enemies, my weakness is snipers, hard to dodge that, even when you know where it's coming from. Well long story short, we wound up actually working with the ninjas later, was funny. They wanted us to do something fairly impossible, it was good pay so we "ran" with it. Lol

We had to infiltrate a bank famous for its security, i mean normally if i had to do this myself, I would bind some force 8 spirits, with my magical lodge and reagents. Then id use them to all out assault the building, while I extracted what i needed, but i guess that's happened to them before, since the WHOLE building was warded. I had heard that there was a dragon in this mother fucker to, but we got in and got out. However the guy who normally gets fucked up and who was spider climbing, made this easy as fuck. He can change shape, voice, and can literally impersonate anyone. He went in, lowered defenses, got to the server room, and walked out the building. His ability to manipulate people is scary. Its odd he doesn't try to do it among us, he would get his way alot, he could impersonate one of us and lie to each other, to the point that we just all followed his plan. Instead he is extremely curt, crass, and kind of a dick, but seems to be pretty loyal to us. I mean we have all been through some tough shit, and the group has known each other longer than they have known me. But i feel safe among the group, sometimes i try to get into fights just to test the boundaries among the group, get a better feel for them, after all i never know when they might become a target, and its good to know how they tick. So I continue playing the bold, fearless, idiot ninja, just so they never expect how much more i am, and how most of the time, if i want something to happen, i have the skill to make it so.

Anyways, of course we succeeded our mission, then we got the fuck out of la, to many people were knowing who we were, and asking us to do shit, well im done, tired for once, guess ill nap on this plane.

How the time seemed to pass quickly by. He'd been learning a lot more about his abilities, getting more comfortable while keeping it hidden. He got a particular kick out of tinkering with drones, making them more... homey. Unable to put a finger on why it felt right, but something about adjusting some of the bits and bolts, soldering a bit here and there on the circuit board, it was like putting up a photo in a new apartment. He did a bit of that too, getting himself a new place. Still not exactly ninja-proof, but to turn a phrase, build a ninja-proof apartment and you just get better ninja.

Feet up on his desk, lighting a cigarette, he tried to put the time into words. For all his brilliant mind and memory, he couldn't spin a good yarn with a team of old fishermen and a loom. Though that'd probably be an interesting story in itself. Glancing over his desk, AR paperwork stacked like cordwood, he knew it'd been productive. A lot of the usual background checks, those were the plain bread of the profession. Not very tasty but filling enough. A bit of stakeouts, dreary work but it was the covered expenses that perked it up. Get'em to pony up for those and it's real coffee and decent takeout.

He'd taken a few courses in mechanics, got a bit of a new upgrade, took a couple refresher lessons in psych... There was that incident with a particularly unethical pusher, but people disappear all the time. Call it urban renewal. When part of your job is finding where things get hidden, you pick up a few tricks. Another perk of being independent, he mused. No need to file a report, no one asking where he went, and no one trying to berate him for having an admittedly corkscrew sort of conscience. They weren't all like that, his mind retorted. That's true he thought, there were... are... a lot of good folk wearing the badges, getting the steady paycheck and trying to get by. The problem was that when you bent down to offer someone a hand up, one of the few bad ones stepped on your back to climb higher then tried to order you to stop just in case another bad one would do the same to get at them. For all the nasty work corps could pull, it all seemed to stem from that. Get a bunch of generally good and well-minded folk together, and one piece of drek, and soon that drek will be in charge because they refused to not be and the rest will do as they're told because they see everyone else doing so and they don't want to be the slothole standing out and making things worse. Doing evil not because they want to, but because they don't refuse.

The door swung open, shattering his navelgazing. Janine stepped in with some soykaf. “If you get mud on the desk, you're cleaning it.” He chuckled, putting his feet down. “Fair point. Anything pressing today?” She handed him the cup then shrugged. “Nothing new. Not much old either. If it stays this quiet I may have to get a day job to keep busy.” That personality upgrade was worth it. Granted he still felt a bit weird about taking over to practice piloting, but it kept her from pushing his uncanny valley button. “Things'll pick up, they always do. Enjoy the times you aren't being shot at.” She'd been developing fairly well in blending in. It'd taken some time to adjust settings, tweak appearances, and give enough flaws. Damn I-Dolls were built too perfect, even with all the nuyen he sunk in for realistic features. The ultra self-conscious and egotistical might try to look that perfect, and the believed usual “use” for them might lean towards stupid-flawless and too-hot-to-be-real, but he wasn't going to be holding to all that. She was cute in that tsundere librarian sort of look, not the usual porn starlet that draws all eyes in any room. Some adjustments to scents and body movement finished up the outward signs, and he was letting her personality develop naturally. She knew she was a drone, but he made sure to treat her more like another sentient and wanted her to act like one. The noizquitos were like pets, while she and the sprites seemed more like family. Simple-minded family, and admittedly non-corporeal in regards to the sprites, but then wasn't the mind just a very complex bit of circuitry?

“Those things will kill you, you know.” He'd completely forgotten about his cigarette, stubbing out the already-dead smoke. “Between bullets, spirits, and emphysema, I might as well make it a sporting chance. My gut tells me the former will be coming up very soon. Only question is who's going to make the first call.” “What makes you think that?” “Let's say now and then I catch a wave of inspiration from narrative causality. Let's make sure everything's stowed away, who knows where we might end up traveling to or what we'll need.” Janine tilted her head slightly, one of those human quirks that people don't often notice except in absence. “I'm going too?” “Of course. It'll be a learning experience. Just try not to pick up too many bad habits, be polite, and what's rule one?” “I am not a thing.” He nodded. “Good.”

Bill took a bit of what little free time he had while researching... well, frakking everything really, and went through some of the vid and photos taken through the incidents even back from the start. He wasn't sure what to call it, mentally, but 'Deep Green' just sounded too much like some orc porn to take seriously. With a bit of help from Janine and Algernon, he scrubbed them as best he could to avoid direct incrimination for him or the others. Voicetracks removed, faces and bodies cut out or garbled if that wasn't an option without screwing up the context. A real pro might be able to crack it, there are never guarantees, but thems the breaks.

News would scoff at it or slap it into some tabloid, anywhere else and it might see daylight but would be just another tin hat piece. But if JackPoint picked it up, it'd get sifted through, torn to pieces, and any grains of truth would sieve into the public. Not the major stuff, but enough little bits to get attention. More eyes would watch for signs, at least. With a sigh acknowledging that it sounded a little short of the mad ramblings from those books, he slapped it all together and shot it off to Zed with a request to get it to someone at or close to JackPoint.

<<ORIGIN UNSPECIFIED>><<MESSAGE BEGINS>>

Greetings JackPoint;

Call me Gumshoe.

You don't know me, but you all are aware enough not to trust most people you do know so we're on good footing already. I admit I'd love to join your group and share (and receive) what help and advice I can, but that's normal business and right now my business is anything but. I've got data on Tempo, and it's led into some extra danger. I'm offering up what I've got, scrubbed for personal security, in the hope that one of you folks might have some insight. At worst, to share as a warning in case similar things start showing up elsewhere. I can't guarantee any of this might be verifiable elsewhere, but I'm sure that won't stop anyone. I'll dump all the core data first, you can read on from there if you feel the need.

<<Numerous files attached>>

Starting with Tempo; You all know it. Whatever you think about it, you're aware of it. Here's the More You Know bits.

It was previously manufactured solely by this woman <<image inserted>>, Graciela Riveros. She supposedly is (or was) the only one to know just how to get the “secret ingredient' processed right. That is <<image inserted>> this plant, [Name here, I forget]. It had been grown in a very secure magical alcara [check name/spelling], which was located at roughly these GPS coordinates outside the tiny town of Santa Isobel Do Rio Negro. Not likely still there; if anyone opts to check I'd be curious to confirm they relocated. Magical checkout doesn't show her as active, but there are strong suspicions that something else is in her head at times. After some things went FUBAR with the Cartels, she hopped to the employ/protection of the David cartel, specifically Ding Ramos. He's the head of Tempo now, as far as my intel goes.

As for the plant itself, it is magical. Perhaps a specific strain, or due to location of origin, not sure, though further evidence leads that the plant originated elsewhere. Concern over the treatment and care of the plant suggest that it is somehow tied to a spirit; given the suspicions around Graciela and outside influence, I personally believe there is some sort of debt or pact involved. That only makes the next bits worse if so, as Tempo plays a huge part.

Spoiler warning: I'm including some books that are best read not at all unless you can mentally picture a collab between MC Escher and HR Giger and think it's perfectly normal city panorama. It made my brain hurt and I can usually write off extra-strange magical drek with the mantra “dot dot dot Dragons.”

<<Numerous files attached>>

These are files relating to a murder investigation. As previous, they have been edited to try and avoid compromising certain individuals, but others can look after their own hoop.

Death cults, dark summonings, drugs, sex and stupid rich folk. Sound like an old David Lynch trid? Were it so simple. You've got a lot of the data right there, but here's the rundown as it seems.

Stupid rich folk (here played by Mr. Roger Carlyle and company) decide to think they're some sort of steampunk world explorers, and hike off to Egypt because why not? One, I repeat ONE of them was an actual Egyptologist, none others showed any more credentials than a wallet and YOLO mentality. Not hard to dig up general info on the Carlyle Expedition. Though it sounds like there was an extra guest never mentioned; still trying to get more data on her, no news makes mention of her or what happened to her. What little I do have is included.

No mention of what if anything they might have found, but from information in one of the books sent back from Roger to his sister, specifically the text 'My Life as a God,' from one real drekked-up SOB, it likely has something to do with the 'Dark Pharaoh' mentioned. Might sound strange, but I didn't edit the image of the black winged serpent-ish thing and those are mentioned, so take it as you will.

Anyways, while I don't have the specific timetable, it looks like they got into Egypt sometime around early May 2067. Whatever they might've found, by July 3rd they stated they'd be heading towards East Africa. They arrived in Mombasa around July 24th, and at least Carlyle, Penhew and Huston were seen as they met with Undersecretary Whittingdon, before heading towards Nairobi the next day. No mention of the rest of the expedition party. Last reported sighting of the expedition was August 3rd leaving Nairobi to the northwest, into the Great Rift Valley. End of their journey here, reportedly. This might all seem like side nonsense, so let's tie things together.

Lots of little bits about death cults and dark entities, all leading towards Egypt and mentions of a “bloody tongued god.” Proof these cults are operating around the world, in some fashion, and got critters unlike anything I heard of in parazoology. Old books with a lot of nonsense, but they all tie in with either some sort of 'Black Man' entity or a furred toad. The Pnakotic calls it Xatogia, the Livre calls it Sathojue, both very phonetically similar with different pronunciations. Both described in terms that make it sound like it was quite a messy eater, neh? It and this 'Black Pharaoh' could be different, seem different but both pretty screwed up. Almost hope they're the same, because otherwise...

Here's the big tie-in. Got good reason to think Tempo's active ingredient is tied to one or both these things. No solid evidence, but the timings match up, the cult/cults use these critters, and they've been raising the dead in the most literal sense. Again, vid. At their meets, they're so hopped up on Tempo that if it were lead you could write with them, and it seems like whatever bigger spirit is behind it gets a free pass into the user. Anyone who remembers UB has heard about the drive some things have for hosts, and anyone who knows shedim understands the dangers of leaving empty meat lying around. None of those are stupid creatures, and I think something, maybe one of them or something else entirely, got Tempo out there to widen the pool. It'd been hiding before, but Carlyle stumbled and kicked over the (pardon the PTSD) anthill, and now it's out. It isn't obvious because it can hunt the uninitiated, those too stupid to realize they're opening an undefended backdoor into their mind and body.

OR I'm totally wrong and the Azzies, via Ramos, are not pushing the biggest death cult designer drug meant to pry open unwitting victim's bodies for spirits to do whatever atrocities they might happily be instructed or requested of in exchange for more victims. I'd love proof I'm wrong. I'm sure you know how to find me.

Do with this what you will, but I hope that it preps someone else for what they might run into out there. If this is going to be a thing, I'd rather folks be ready instead of surprised.

“Fear is inevitable, I have to accept that, but I cannot allow it to paralyze me.' - Isabel Allende